


The First Rule of Fight Club . . .

by PrincessAddieJ



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 05:02:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10824318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessAddieJ/pseuds/PrincessAddieJ
Summary: ** A piece set shortly in the future, where Addie is 12 and Luna is 8****Currency values at: 1 Bronze = $0.25, 1 Silver = $5, 1 Gold = $100**Because of the nature of the fic, and the first rule . . . I can't talk about the summary ;)





	The First Rule of Fight Club . . .

“Now my darling, remember what I told you about this being a secret that stays between us?”

“It’s not me you need to worry about, Gramps,” Addie assured him with a smile, and then promptly pointed to Luna, hanging off Vercin like a backpack, “but blabbermouth there spills secrets like a tortured spy.”

“I can’t help it!” Luna whined in defense.

“You’re going to have to help it, my sweet moon, or we won’t be able to do this anymore.”

The little princess considered these words as the trio walked along the quickly darkening streets of the Capitol. Neither she or her older sister had ever visited this part of the city. Mostly this was because Gran did not feel comfortable letting them run off by themselves in what she called a ‘less than reputable’ area. Of course, Addie had no fear, especially with Gramps guiding them along all the wild turns and strangely narrow alleys until they arrived at what she guessed was their destination.

The sun had long set, but the unremarkable door greeting them was backlit with a dull glow. It wasn’t exactly welcoming, but not frightening either. At least, not enough that Addie wanted to turn back.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to do it, anyway?” Luna questioned in an unnecessarily soft voice.

“We’re not,” Addie said with a pleased smirk.

“No, not really,” Vercin agreed, raising his delicate eyebrows just so, “but frankly for a future ruler Adelaide, your parents treat you far too softly. You enjoy things like this, do you not?”

“I do.”

“And are you not excelled in it?”

“Well . . . I’d like to think so, yes.”

Vercin knocked carefully on the door, his lips pulling up at one corner in a mischievous smile.

“Then this will be good for you. And if by some odd chance of fate, you lose, that will be good for you as well.”

“’Chance of fate,’” the girl parroted, laughing her nerves away. “You said these people do this all the time. I have no chance of winning, Gramps.”

“I have every faith that you can win, Princess.”

“Yeah Sissy! You’re the best!” Luna cheered.

 

The three of them were ushered inside after a long dirty look at the little thing Vercin declared would be participating in the evening’s events. There weren’t as many people as Addie had first imagined – only a baker’s dozen competing, and then another dozen hanging around to witness the spectacle. The participants were easy enough to spot as they were basically dressed like her in short clothing despite the chill in the air, but while the others sported baggy, clearly worked-in attire, Addie’s fit close to her body, and was designed with her father in mind. She also seemed to be the only girl in attendance. Boys that had several inches on her own height stripped off dirty cotton shirts in preparation, showing off well-muscled midsections and wide arms.

“Can I do that?” The Princess wondered of her grandfather as she continued to look around.

“No, love. I’ve pressed my luck bringing you here tonight. Should your father find out I let you take your clothes off as well, I may not live to see 6,000.” 

Addie nodded in understanding. She didn’t particularly want to strip for an audience, and she reasoned that her defined muscles would get enough showing off when she handed these teenagers their own teeth soon enough. And by the way they looked at her, she figured them as having no idea that was coming.

“Alright gents!” The announcer called without warning. He made eye contact with everyone in the room . . . Including Addie. “. . . And ladies,” he grumbled, “Amateur Night is seven Silver Pieces up front. Bidding begins with the first pairing.” The familiar jangle of coins filled the air as an aged wool cap was passed around the audience. Addie patted at her nonexistent pockets and silently cursed herself for not thinking of the money, when Gramps dropped a handful of Silver Pieces into the hat as it met his hands.

“For myself, and the ladies,” he told the announcer with a sly grin. The man only sneered behind his long, crooked nose and finished his rounds of collecting before returning the front of the room.

“Competitors, gather here!” He commanded, pointing a single dirty finger at the spot just in front of him.

Everyone did as told, the Princess even falling into step next to the boys towering over her. She kept her face like stone, just as her daddy had taught her to do in tough situations. Never let them see your fear, my treasure. Let them be intimidated by your mask. And she did just that. Addie crossed her arms and put on the best façade she could as she listened to the man tell them the rules (there were none), and then single her out as one of the first participants against a behemoth of a boy that was supposedly only a year older than her.

“Give us a show, love,” he cackled, exposing an uneven row of yellowed teeth.

 

At the end of the night, the Princess skipped several steps ahead of her grandfather and sister toward the castle at the Capitol. She held one of Vercin’s white cloths to her cheek with a wide smile, the pain unable to shake her happiness. A part of her recognized the need to be silent upon entering the castle, but the loud clinking of her winnings against her thigh as she skipped simply sounded too good to her pride to make her stop.

“And just where have you been at this time of night?” A familiar voice questioned from the sitting room Addie had just passed. She froze mid step for a fraction of a second before slowly backing up to see Gran nestled into a plush chair, a closed book in her lap.

“Oh, just . . . Out. With Gramps and Lu.”

“I see,” she said in a low voice. This tone was one that told her she actually did see much more than the girl hoped she did, and it left a sick feeling at the bottom of Addie’s stomach.

“Hello dearest!” Vercin called, piggybacking Luna into the room with a cheerfulness he did not usually wear. “Lovely evening we’re having, yes? I couldn’t resist taking the girls out for a stroll.” The Queen Mother crossed her arms casually, one blonde eyebrow raising in a look so challenging, Addie had to look away.

“A stroll, you say? A stroll through the city? Say, oh, I don’t know . . . Down to the fighting ring? Is that where you took them on a stroll?”

To the disbelief of his granddaughters, Vercin’s face did not so much as twitch.

“Why would you think that, love?”

In less than a blink, Fedelmid was on her feet and inches from his face.

“Because you stink of smoke and cheap wine, Adelaide is bleeding from the face, and the bag she won’t let go of says you bid high or robbed the treasury, you fool.”

“Well when you say it like that . . .”

“Like what?! Like the truth?!”

Vercin only shrugged and looked down. Fedelmid locked her gaze on Addie next.

“Adelaide,” she said, making the word sound as though it were a spell to turn her to stone. “Did you go to a fighting ring tonight?”

“Yes ma’am,” the Princess admitted in a small voice.

“Did you fight?”

“Yes ma’am.” Gran’s jaw tightened at that.

“. . . Did you win?”

“YES MA’AM!”


End file.
